Utopia Plastix: Processable Plant‑Based Resin Replaces Petroleum Plastics

An Oklahoma company, Utopia Plastix, has developed resin products made directly from plants, which can be processed by traditional plastics processing methods like injection molding and extrusion.

“Utopia Plastix is a plant-based alternative to petroleum-based plastics. We are not plastic. We are the use of plants in plastic manufacturing,” says Sharina Perry, founder of Utopia Plastix.

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Producing a processable resin usually involves changing the chemistry of the feedstock material, whether it is from a petrochemical or biological source. Bioplastics are produced by using carbohydrates as an energy source to produce thermoplastic polymers like polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). In contrast, Utopia uses plants directly as a raw material. The process makes use of the molecules already present without putting them through chemical changes. It all starts with cover crops.  

Utopia Plastix material has a natural appearance owing to its agricultural origin. Source (all): Utopia Plastix

Transforming Cover Crops Into Plant-Based Resin

Cover crops are grown not for harvest but for protecting and replenishing soil, often as a part of a crop-rotation strategy. Perry first became interested in cover crops in the hopes of developing a health and wellness product. She says she wasn’t interested in how to break down the materials, but rather understanding their existing properties. Perry founded Utopia in 2018 to develop and commercialize plant-based alternatives using these properties.

Perry says that developing the proper drying of the material and overcoming its fibrous nature were among the technical challenges that faced Utopia, on which she collaborated with a network of experts from industry and academia. Today, Utopia’s product has been used in a variety of applications including rigid containers, flexible packaging and utensils. 

“It’s been injection molded, thermoformed, blow molded, extruded, rotomolded — we knew once we got to blown film, with a fibrous material that wouldn’t split, we had really gotten somewhere,” says Perry.

The resin is available in either pellet or powder form, and varieties are made to match the application — based on the melt index and polymer type that is being substituted. The resin can be processed on traditional equipment but must be processed at lower temperatures than a corresponding petrochemical alternative. The processability is not completely captured by the melt index. Manufacturers transitioning from a 25-30 melt PP would likely use Utopia’s alternative to 12 melt PP, according to Perry.  

The material has a natural color to it. It can be colored, and can even be transparent, but there is a limitation to the optical properties. “It’s not going to be this high shine film,” says Perry, “we are still talking about crops.”

Sharina Perry, founder of Utopia Plastix, holds up packaging film made from the plant-based resin her company developed. 

In other aspects, such as barrier performance, the crop-based material may outperform incumbents. Utopia says that in a six-month side-by-side study, a freezer bag made with Utopia Plastix outperformed a traditionally made PE freezer bag in prevention of freezer burn.

Farmers who tested Utopia Plastix as an agricultural film found that it held back pests, helped retain moisture and prevented weed growth, Perry tells Plastics Technology. They also found significant degradation after 120-140 days. To prolong the degradation process, Utopia adds thickness and colorant to reduce the effect of ultraviolet light in applications where it is likely to be exposed.

By balancing the performance needs of the application with the importance of degradation at the end of use, Utopia aims to provide solutions that are both good for customers and good for the land. “We wanted to look at what happens no matter where our material lands — if it’s in someone’s backyard, in our waterways or in a landfill,” says Perry. “When our materials break down, they add nutrients to the soil.”